The ruins of Ashenvale stretched endlessly into the horizon, a wasteland of shattered stone and twisted metal. Eren Kael walked with purpose, the shard glowing faintly in his pocket. The events of the previous night lingered heavily in his mind—the visions of the Seven Gods, their towering forms etched into his memory like an ancient painting.
He clutched the strap of his satchel tightly as he moved through the desolation, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of danger. The man in black armor from the day before had been a chilling reminder that the shards weren't just objects of power—they were invitations to conflict.
Yet the shard pulsed faintly, a heartbeat against his side, as if urging him onward.
As dawnless hours passed, Eren stumbled upon what appeared to be the remains of a once-grand temple. Its pillars, though cracked and eroded, still stood tall, their surfaces carved with intricate depictions of battles and celestial beings. The entrance was blocked by a collapsed archway, but a narrow passage remained open, leading into the darkness.
"This must be it," Eren murmured, his breath visible in the cold air. He had heard rumors of a forgotten temple dedicated to the gods, a place where ancient texts might still hold clues to their downfall. If he could learn more about the shards—or the war that shattered the gods—it might give him an edge against the enemies he would inevitably face.
He took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The interior was suffocatingly dark, save for the faint glow of the shard. The air was thick with the scent of decay and dust, and Eren's footsteps echoed ominously against the stone floor. The walls were adorned with faded murals, their vibrant colors long since eroded by time. Yet the images were clear enough to tell a story.
Eren paused before one particularly large mural. It depicted the Seven Gods standing together in unity, their divine forms resplendent against a backdrop of stars. Solas stood at the center, his radiant spear held high, while Nyxara lingered at the edges, her form half-hidden in shadow. Zepharion's storms raged around them, Thalrion's hammer struck the earth, and Lyria's vines wove through the scene, binding the gods together.
Below them, mortals knelt in reverence, their hands raised in worship.
The next panel, however, was starkly different. The gods were no longer united. Solas stood apart, his spear turned against his brethren. Nyxara held a dagger dripping with ichor, her eyes cold and calculating. Zepharion's storms tore through the heavens, and Thalrion's hammer shattered the earth. Lyria's vines strangled the mortals she once nurtured, while Veyron stood atop a mountain of corpses, his blade raised in triumph.
Astralis was absent, her place marked only by a faint outline of light.
Eren's gaze lingered on the final image—a crumbling world, its skies ablaze, as the gods fell one by one.
"They betrayed each other," he muttered, his voice barely audible.
"Betrayal is the nature of power," the shard's voice echoed in his mind, startling him. "Even the divine are not immune to its allure. Solas sought perfection, Nyxara sought secrets, and the rest… they were consumed by their own flaws."
"Why?" Eren demanded. "Why would they turn on each other? They were gods—they could've ruled together."
"Power corrupts," the shard replied. "And absolute power shatters. Mortals were their creations, but mortals became their fuel. To rule over you, they destroyed themselves."
Eren clenched his fists, anger bubbling within him. "And now their mess is ours to clean up. Typical."
The shard pulsed, its warmth almost comforting. "You carry their legacy now. Learn from their failures, or repeat them."
Eren pressed deeper into the temple, the air growing colder with every step. The passage eventually opened into a vast chamber, its ceiling lost in shadow. At the center stood an altar, its surface carved with the same divine symbols that marked the shard.
But Eren's attention was drawn to the figure standing by the altar.
It was a woman, her back turned to him. She wore a cloak of midnight blue, and her silver hair cascaded down her shoulders like a river of light. In her hand, she held a fragment similar to Eren's, its glow illuminating her delicate features.
"You've come far," she said without turning, her voice soft but commanding. "Few dare to tread the ruins of Ashenvale."
Eren tensed, his hand moving to the hilt of his dagger. "Who are you?"
The woman turned slowly, her eyes meeting his. They were the color of starlight, ancient and unreadable.
"Call me Lysara," she said, her lips curving into a faint smile. "And you are the bearer of another shard, aren't you?"
Eren didn't answer, his grip tightening on the dagger.
Lysara sighed, lowering her gaze to the shard in her hand. "You don't need to be so defensive. If I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead."
"Reassuring," Eren muttered. "What do you want?"
"What we all want," Lysara replied, stepping closer. "Answers. The shards are more than relics—they're pieces of something greater. And if we don't uncover their secrets, we'll all be consumed by the war they're bound to spark."
Eren frowned, his instincts warning him to be cautious. "And what makes you so interested? You don't strike me as the altruistic type."
Lysara's smile widened, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Let's just say I have a personal stake in this. The gods weren't the only ones who lost something in their fall."
Before Eren could question her further, the ground beneath them rumbled violently. Dust and debris rained down from the ceiling as the chamber shook.
"They've found us," Lysara said sharply, her expression darkening.
"Who?"
"Hunters," she replied, gripping her shard tightly. "Loyalists who still serve the gods' will—or what they think is the gods' will. And they won't stop until they have every shard in their grasp."
As if on cue, the chamber doors burst open, and a group of armored figures stormed in. Their eyes glowed faintly with an unnatural light, and their weapons radiated divine energy.
Eren's heart raced as he drew his dagger, the shard in his pocket flaring to life. Lysara stepped beside him, her own shard blazing with light.
"Ready to prove you're worthy of that power, bearer?" she asked, her tone almost playful.
Eren smirked, despite the fear curling in his chest. "Let's find out."
The chamber erupted into chaos as the hunters charged, their blades gleaming in the dim light. Eren and Lysara stood side by side, their shards pulsing with energy as the war of the Titans began anew.